Sleep apnea fears
I want to preface this by saying other than snoring, I don't recall ever having any issues with my sleep. I always slept like a rock. About a month ago, a horrifying wave of anxiety hit me and hasn't gone away since. Basically, it's been a month-long anxiety attack and it has gotten so bad that 2 weeks ago, I started Zoloft. A few days before starting the meds, the anxiety got so bad that I was waking up in the middle of the night in a panic.
After starting Zoloft (Day 15 today), I have been waking every morning around 4am. Sometimes I just wake up normal, sometimes I wake up with heightened anxiety. I read that it's a pretty common side effect of Zoloft so other than being bothered by it, I wasn't really stressing over it.
I mentioned the waking to my doctor who said it was most likely due to both the anxiety and Zoloft, but to be safe, she's going to send me a sleep study kit to test for sleep apnea. I started FREAKING out. Sleep apnea has always been something that scared the living hell out of me. I admit I'm not super well educated on it (I avoid Googling stuff like this due to my health anxiety), but as a concept, it has always terrified me.
I'm obviously going to listen to my doctor and take the test, but what do you guys think? Do you think it's just the anxiety? For reference, I have never had sleep problems other than snoring my whole life. I have never had issues waking early, I never feel tired during the day, I don't need to take naps, always have good energy, workout daily, perform my work well, etc. I could stand to lose a few pounds and have recently lost 20 lbs. I'm 6 ft 203 lbs, so a few more pounds could definitely go, but physically, I'm in decent shape.
I guess I was just caught off guard. I was 100% sure it was just the anxiety and/or meds causing the waking and wasn't expecting sleep apnea to even play into it.
@thsieh0111 sleep apnea is nothing to worry about. I had it as a child and was absolutely fine. Please try not to worry too much ❤️ The sleep study will help with your fears I’m sure ☺️ Good luck.
@Jem7Cups
I think you may mean that the need for a CPAP and the use of a CPAP isn't anything to worry about. However, the sleep apnea itself is indeed something to be concerned about and should always be addressed, as the OP seems to be doing.
It *can* be hard to get used to the machine, having something on your face at night, dealing with the tubing etc. and it took me a good 6 - 9 months to use it consistently. But I have used my CPAP since about 2008 and I think it makes a huge difference and am happy with the sleep quality. I just wish I didn't need it, in the first place. 
I was recently diagnosed with Sleep Apnea the obstructive type most likely due to being overweight. I have had sleep issues most likely a long part of my life but in the last 6 months I have only been sleeping 4 hours a night at most. I would check your medication side effects and bring any questions up directly to your clinic/prescriber. It could be apnea or what you are taking. Thin people can have apnea too. The sleep clinic will help narrow down your issue with sleep. Perhaps you are also on the wrong medication too.
@Zippy81 correct, it's true that thin people can have sleep apnea. I am thin, and I do not smoke, but I have sleep apnea and have had it for a long time due to the way my nasal passages developed (and I snored badly for most of my life). I use my CPAP nightly, though, and it has made a world of diffference.
Thank you for the replies, everyone. I had some time to think about this and yes, I'm at least glad I will be looking into it, and if it IS sleep apnea, then at least we know and I can get it treated. I guess I was just caught off guard when I was simply asking a question regarding the side effects of my medication.
